Download The Goliath in your life

The Goliath in your life
Text 1 Sam 17:1-54
:4 - Goliath was apr. 9”9”
:5 – Coat of armor was 125 lbs
:7 – staff apr. 17 lbs and spearhead was apr. 16 lbs
The challenge:
8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, "Why do you come out to draw up in
battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and
let him come down to me.
9 "If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail
against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us."
10 Again the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight
together."
The fear:
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly
afraid.
Why would Saul, a man of statue (apr. 7’), a leader of the armies of the living God be
greatly afraid?
 Just previous to this, their had been great victory, Saul appointed as king
(against God’s wishes, but He graciously gave them Saul with a warning
through Samuel:
1 Sam 12:24 "Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what
great things He has done for you.
Disobedience begins: Disobedience will unleash fear
In brief, three points to downfall:
1/
1 Sam 13:8 ¶ Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel
did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.
9 So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt
offering.
 Saul looks at the situation in fear as people begin to scatter - reacts
 Relying on his own ability and wisdom in the face of pressure
13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly;
 Instead of humility and repentance, pride resorts to excuses (V11,12)
 Religious ceremony rather than true dependency and worship of God
 Resulted in his disqualification from a Godly, faith empowered leadership, and
eventual downfall of his reign – one that could have accomplished much for
God’s kingdom and people
2/
1 Sam 14:18 Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was at that
time with the sons of Israel.
19 While Saul talked to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines continued and
increased; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Saul still ignorant in his heart to the warnings of disobedience, still blinded by a
confidence in self rather than faith in God
 Begins what appears to be a genuine effort to consult God, but is merely a
religious exercise that lacks any kind of power and protection
 Saul can see and hear only that which his physical senses understand, he has
no genuine faith and trust, nor understanding in the real power and
protection of God
 No time for God when most needed, probably resulting from no time spent
with God in the quiet moments – no intimate relationship built, which tends
to reveal itself in a time of trial
1Sam 14:24 ¶ Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people
under oath, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged
myself on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.
Foolish and selfish oaths made from prideful ambitions and goals
32 The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them
on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.
Foolish oaths and leadership lead to more disobedience and failure:
37 Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of
Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day.
No communication from God – not taken seriously, warnings ignored - should have
sought repentance
You would think enough was enough – time to stop and make right the wrong
 Saul hanging out in the pig barn to long – can’t smell the stink anymore
3/
1Sam 15:3 ‘Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but
put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’"
God speaks to Samuel with more direct orders
Pride and greed dilute true God given direction
1Sam 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the
lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything
despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
1Sam 15:11 "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has
not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night.
God’s sorrow in Saul’s rebellion
20 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which
the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed
the Amalekites.
21 "But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to
destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
 Saul still lost in his own deceitfulness – thinks partial obedience is
acceptable, blames others
 Probably believes in what he says, can’t tell truth from lie anymore
 His word has no value, no truth, no integrity (soundness, completeness,
honesty)
1Sam 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being
king."
Saul’s final rejection from being king, just a matter of time for manifestation
1Sam 15:30 Then he said, "I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people
and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."
Saul has no concern for inward repentance, only outward appearance
 Tries to save face with his people – all for selfish appearance with no real
benefit or power behind it.
 Sadly, Saul’s relationship with God is severed, and rightly so
Getting back to to our story:
1Sam 17:1-54
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly
afraid.
So Saul has every reason to be scared – for he trusts in his own strength and wisdom,
which is no match for Goliath who stands tall and strong.
 Disobedience has unleashed great fear
 A visible, enormous mountain of a warrior stands between them and victory
 When the leader is weak and scared, the people also tend to have no faith or
courage – even the mighty warriors that Saul surrounded himself with made
no attempt to face Goliath (14:52)
 The presence of a strong spiritual leadership or the lack of it reflects on
those that follow
 The importance of strong spiritual leadership is a necessity in the ranks of
Gods army
 This challenge should echo in the hearts of any who have a leadership
position
16 The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.
Enemy doesn’t go away – must be dealt with to move forward in victory or we will
suffer the defeat – no middle ground
17 Then Jesse said to David his son, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain
and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers.
God’s timing is a perfect plan
 Gal 4:4 but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His son
 Story of Esther is filled with God’s perfect timing (Haman and Mordecai)
 Scriptures are full of waiting on God
25 The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to
defy Israel.
26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man
who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised
Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"
David knew his God and whom he served
Not only was Goliath defying Israel, but more so, the people of the living God
 We as God’s children will always have spiritual giants that will try to
challenge us and stop us from attaining the victory that awaits us if we walk
in God’s will, power and strength.
 What have we to fear? Of whom shall we be afraid?
 We have all to fear if not in right standing with God?
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against
David and he t said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep
in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come
down in order to see the battle."
Sometimes the battles even come from within our own family, friends, brother and
sisters in Christ
29 But David said, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?"
 Did not stop or hinder David from his course of direction
 Victory awaits our right decisions in word and deed
30 Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the
same thing as before.
 Persistent despite opposition
 Opposition will always be there – when were weak and quite often right
after a great victory.
 Pride goes before a fall
32 David said to Saul, "Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight
with this Philistine."
David instills courage and faith with his words of fearless boldness backed only by
his faith in God.
 Faith – the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
 Eyes fixed on victory (not like Peter walking on water until he looked
around at the circumstances)
 Sometimes we need to pray out the situation, and sometimes we just know
what must be done (God given wisdom and direction)
34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear
came and took a lamb from the flock,
35 I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up
against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
36 "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like
one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God."
37 And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the
bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may
the LORD be with you."
Why was David so confident? The answer is obvious.
 He knew his God (Song - I know whom I have believed in)
 He had previous experience with God’s protection and deliverance
 He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that the battle belonged to
Lord – all battles in accordance with His will belong to Him
 God would be the power behind the victory
 David was the yielded vessel of deliverance
the
Saul was temporarily awaken possibly by the anointing of God shining forth from
David
38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed
him with armor.
39 David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David
said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off.
40 ¶ He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put
them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and
he approached the Philistine.
Nice jester on Saul’s part to equip David with his armor
(probably the best around)
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David was more familiar with the tools God has skilled him with
Tools he had implemented each day (tomorrow is another day)
Tools that had proven themselves in day to day experiences
The testing in our lives prepare us for the battles that lie ahead
God calls us with what we have and expects us to use them just as skillfully
as we have in other situations along with the most important ingredient –
Faith in Him
42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy,
with a handsome appearance.
43 The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine
cursed David by his gods.
44 The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky
and the beasts of the field."
The moment of truth
 The rubber meets the road
 The face off
 The giant in your face
 The force of fear hurled at you to dishearten and weaken your faith
 The enemy scoffs at you and does not retreat but seeks to destroy
 Comes in all the power of darkness and intimidation
 The giant looks at you and sees nothing of strength or concern
 The enemy knows not the power of your God - yet
 What are you going to do?
45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I
come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
taunted.
46 "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove
your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the
birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God
in Israel,
47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for
the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands."
David did not for a moment take his eyes off the victory that lie ahead to consider the
circumstances around him
 David first and foremost declares his commanding officer - God
 Deliverance - will come - from God
 Not only will I take your head, but your army shall suffer defeat also
 The battle is the Lords – your fight is against him
 All three verse that speak of David’s reply are saturated with the reason for
the victory that is yet to come – All glory belongs to God – always and
forever
48 ¶ Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David
ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
 David without hesitation, proceeded forward in full force as he ran at the
giant of a man and fulfilled his words of judgment
 David was a man who meant what he said
 Davis was a man who believed in what he said
 David was a man of integrity
 David was a man after Gods own heart
In Conclusion:
God is looking for men and woman whose hearts are loyal to Him
2Chr16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly
support those whose heart is completely His.
We should also be experiencing the victories in our everyday life such as David did
with the lion and the bear.
Experiences that teach us of:
 God as our strength, our deliverer,
 That build up our faith in Him
 That build an intimate personal relationship with Him
 That prepare us for the giants to come
If you are an active warrior in God’s army, and you should be, expect the giants to
stand in your way, and more so,
Expect the giants to fall under mighty hand of God
Read Active duty or Awol
Think of the territory we could claim (back) for the kingdom of God
Think of the lives we could reach unto salvation if only we will face the goliaths that
stand in our way
Is that giant shame, are we ashamed of what people might think of us, and how they
will treat us after they know we are a “born again Christian”
Is shame standing between you and the harvest, you and the power within to heal the
sick, set the captives free, to let them know the Lord does deliver
Is there sin such as disobedience, pride, and selfishness in your life?
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and repent!
You know, Isaiah dropped to his knees in fear when he realized that he was a sinner in
the presence of a Holy God
Once he was cleansed from his sin, he boldly said
“Here am I Lord – Send me”
God is ready and willing, the question is are you?
Active Duty or Awol?
 I am a soldier in the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding
officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, prayer, and the Word are my
weapons of warfare.
 I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and
tested by fire.
 I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.
 I will either retire in this army at the rapture or die in this army; but I will not get
out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out. I am faithful, reliable, capable and
dependable.
 If my God needs me, I am there. If He needs me in Sunday school, to teach the
children, work with the youth, help adults or just sit and learn He can use me
because I am there!
 I am a soldier; I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up,
pumped up, picked up or pepped up. I am a soldier. No one has to call me, remind
me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me. I am a soldier. I am not a wimp.
 I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building
His kingdom! No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me
handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for or catered to. I am
committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot
be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
 When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will
still come out ahead. I will win. My God has and will continue to supply all of my
needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through
Christ. Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary
me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me.
 Governments cannot silence me and hell cannot handle me. I am a soldier. Even
death cannot destroy me. For when my commander calls me from this battlefield, He
will promote me to Captain and then allow me to rule with Him. I am a soldier in the
army, and I am marching claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I
am a soldier, marching heaven bound. Here I stand! I will not turn around. Will you
stand with me?
The big question is, which part of the service are you in?
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Active Duty: Serving the Lord faithfully, daily and on duty 24/7?
Reserve status: Serving only when called upon or twice a year, Christmas and
Easter?
Guard status: Backing up the Active Duty group?
AWOL! Absent with out the Lord?